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Food Safety: Following the Package Instructions

Topic Overview

Food packaging labels provide information about when to use the food
and how to store it. Reading food labels and following safety instructions will
greatly reduce your chance of becoming ill with
food poisoning.

The following guidelines are included on a packaging label.

Sell by: This tells the
store how long to display the product. You should not buy the product after
this date.

Best if used by: This tells you
how long the product keeps its best flavor or quality. This date is not a
purchase or safety date.

Use by: This tells
you the last date that is recommended for using the product while at peak
quality. The manufacturer determines this date.

Printed dates or numbers on labels without an identifier (such as
"sell by") generally represent packing numbers used by the manufacturer to
track inventory or locate a product. These dates do not indicate freshness or
quality of the product.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.